Proteomic Study for Responses to Cadmium Stress in Rice Seedlings

A proteomic approach including two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometric (MALDI-TOF MS) analyses was used to investigate the responses to cadmium (Cd) stress in seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties Shanyou 63 and Aizaizhan. Cd stress significantly inhibited root and shoot growth, and affected the global proteome in rice roots and leaves, which induced or upregulated the expression of corresponding proteins in rice roots and leaves when rice seedlings were exposed to 0.1 or 1.0 mmol/L Cd. The Cd-induced proteins are involved in chelation and compartmentation of Cd, elimination of active oxygen free radicals, detoxification of toxic substances, degradation of denatured proteins or inactivated enzymes, regulation of physiologic metabolism and induction of pathogenesis-related proteins. Comparing the Cd-induced proteins between the two varieties, the β-glucosidase and pathogenesis-related protein family 10 proteins were more drastically induced by Cd stress in roots and leaves of Aizaizhan, and the UDP-glucose protein transglucosylase and translational elongation factor Tu were induced by 0.1 mmol/L Cd stress in roots of Shanyou 63. This may be one of the important mechanisms for higher tolerance to Cd stress in Shanyou 63 than in Aizaizhan.